Rowing to Eden
by Vesper Gray
Summary: One night between Jack and Elizabeth continues to haunt them and brings more than it seems. Even vows of marriage can be sacrificed for love, lust and all that lies between.
1. Chapter 1

Rowing to Eden

Chapter One 

It was a mad thing, to be thinking about Jack Sparrow at a time like this. She knew in her heart, the right man to be thinking of when looking at the sea would be Will Turner- her husband.

And she loved Will. She loved Will from the moment they rescued him from the water as a child. Her childhood love, her best friend, would never be stricken from her mind just as the beat of his heart would never quiet in the dark of her room. But there was another man that haunted her thoughts, another man whose voice she remembered while she sat on the shore. Both pirates, both beautiful men- but the two could not be more different.

Will would not be able to step on land for nine more years- he was not there to witness the birth of his son, although she wondered endlessly if he knew about the birth of his son. Rue was three months old now, the product of her one night with Will on the beach after their marriage. She loved him with all of her being, but her son was just a reminder each day that Will was still almost a decade from returning. Her son's birth had been in the bedroom of a midwive's house, with no one there to comfort her. Afterwards, when she had held the baby in her arms, she had hoped for Jack to show up, to appear in the doorway of her bedroom.

But he was off searching the world, searching for the Fountain of youth, away from her and all the memories of what had happened between them. She knew she could not expect him to come back to see her, but he knew she was here, bound to a home when she wished to sail the seas again, reigning as the Pirate King. The adventures of motherhood paled in comparison to what she had lived and seen- and the icy cold of World's End now seemed a paradise to the thought of endless years living alone, never feeling the salty spray of the ocean as she sailed.

It was a dark day, the sky littered with foreboding clouds and the wind whipped about the small cottage mercilessly. A storm was brewing and just as the first drops started sprinkling down, Elizabeth dashed about the house, closing the windows.

Just as she turned around a figure stepped inside the door, making her gasp and reach instinctively for the pistol on the table before she realized whom it was.

"Jack!"

He looked the same as before, a small smile playing on his lips. Her heart jumped a little in her chest, the shock at seeing him again still clouding her mind.

He stared back at her, glancing from her flushed face to the pistol her fingers rested on. "Going to try to kill me again?"

"What?" She breathed, and then snatched her fingers away from the gun. "So is that what you came here for? To taunt me about what happened on _The Pearl_?"

"Maybe." He smirked, but it had been a long time since he had seen her. He had not forgotten anything, not the way her hair looked or the way her eyes glittered when she was angry. He had half hoped to come back and find her looks faded, her face pale and her beauty diminished.

Instead, dressed much like a pirate wench in a simple dress, she looked more stunning than ever. Tanned, her hair blonder and swept into messy curls, she was as beautiful as sin. And about as dangerous as the Devil himself. "We are in port tonight. Bad storm coming."

"It's been ten months-,"

"Looking for the Fountain and all that, love. Do you have some rum in this house?" He started toward the cupboard.

"Did you find it?" She inquired with baited breath, envy twisting her insides. How lucky for him to be on the seas, searching in foreign lands for something amazing.

"Wanting half of me plunder? You'll have to **persuade** me to give it up."

She rolled her eyes. "So you didn't find it, and someone else made off with your ship."

He handed her the bottle after taking a hearty sip. "That's not…I'm going to make it there, Lizzie."

A shrill cry interrupted their talk, and Jack's face went blank. "That would be your son."

"How…" She hadn't told him she was pregnant when he left and…what must he be thinking? Not that it mattered, since she was married to Will in name and law, but she still cared, oh too much, how he felt.

"There was talk in ports we went to. I heard about it."

She started toward the bedroom, chin up but stomach churning. She picked up the small baby, gasping when she turned and fell against Jack.

He peered at Rue. "He doesn't look a thing like Will. Are you sure this is his?"

Her face went scarlet. "You, you-," she sputtered.

"What's the lad's name?"

"William Rue."

He nodded, his dark eyes like two flickering flames. His nonchalant attitude toward the child made her worry, he didn't seem displeased nor happy about her being a mother.

Jack Sparrow was a hard man to read.

"He's three months. Jack." She turned to look at him, her voice earnest. "Do you think Will..heard? I have no way of knowing-,"

He shrugged, the charms in his hair tinkling. "I have not a clue, Lizzie. Rum?"

She took the bottle from him reluctantly, sipping.

As she made dinner for him, he sat with one boot up on the table, talking of strange islands and bad weather- of the crew and of magical creatures- the rain pelting down outside as he spoke.

His words only made her long all the more for the open sea, to drink bad rum and hold treasure in her palm, to feel sand beneath her feet for just a brief moment before running back on board.

It was a longing, a lustful hunger than swept over her and made her feel warm. She was born a lady, but had become a pirate and nothing would cure her of that.

"I walk to the shore here each day." She admitted lamely, hating the lazy look of contempt that crossed his face.

"The Pirate King walking to the shore?"

"I can't be on a ship, Jack. I have a child and…Will…"

"Dear William will not be returning for another nine years. Why not sail until he returns?"

"I can't." she said firmly. "Not until Rue is older. He's too small right now and- one day-,"

The disbelief was evident on Jack's face, but she didn't argue anymore. Her life was not just her own now. It was one of three lives- Will's, Rue's, and then her own.

The storm raged on outside, thunder booming as the rain thudded down on the roof. Thankful for the security of the house, she blew out all the candles but two as she made a place for Jack to sleep.

He sat in a chair, watching her every move and it made her feel quite uneasy. She would trust Jack with her life, although she would never admit it, but the tension that was always so palpable between them was still lingering in the air.

The kiss that sent him to his death was hanging between them, a dark shadow in the room. She had done a terrible thing, betraying him, and she knew that he hadn't forgiven her. She had not really forgiven herself. She had cared for Jack more than she wanted to- and he cared for her in return. The horrible pain between them…

It would just have to be ignored. "Much better for you here than on the ship tonight, with this weather."

"'Tis." He was quiet, so un-Jack for a moment before speaking again. "But the ship is always the best place to be."

"I know. I remember." Her eyes met his and she was stuck again by how beautiful he was, how dark and mysterious. She had been half in love with Captain Jack Sparrow as a child, reading about him in various books and dreaming of being on a pirate ship. When she met him later, she was torn between emotions- a mix of hate and lust and admiration, emotions that were at constant war inside of her even as she became Mrs. Will Turner.

And even after meeting Jack, he was still as much a legend as ever. Mysterious and elusive, she could never read his mind or figure out what his past was, where he had come from or even how old he was. He never gave more of himself, keeping everything locked away. It was part of his allure, perhaps, that his soul was not bare to her as Will's was.

"Being on the ship was amazing…feeling the sea and the freedom….I miss it."

"I know." He tilted his head, studying her. "A pirate, Elizabeth, has to be on the sea. It is like food and ale to a pirate. Young Mr. Turner would have been better suited to play mother, I thought him a eunuch up until I saw proof of his child."

She ignored his humor, focusing instead on the hand that he placed upon her arm. She thought he would never again touch her or look at her after what she had done, but…

"Jack- about what happened-,"

He shook his head quickly. "No, love. The past is over and done with, murders and all that. Savvy? You have Mr. Turner, I have my ship. Despite killing me, we're both well off."

"Well off?" She couldn't help exclaiming. "Jack, I won't see my husband for ten years! I am raising our child alone, in a town where even my father is dead. This isn't a happily ever after for me. The one place I belonged is out THERE, and I'm here. I'm stuck, and somedays I don't know if I'm alive anymore-,"

Her mouth clamped shut, shocked at her own outburst. His bitterness couldn't possibly allow him to care, could it? She just made a fool of herself…

But all Jack could concentrate on was her, her flushed face still prominent in the dim light. Her wanting to feel alive- it was an invitation neither could resist.

His lips captured hers, not allowing her to take the lead like she did before his death. His mouth was hot and bruising upon hers, allowing her to kiss him back with more fervor than she thought possible.

There was no need for a bed, Elizabeth found herself pulling him to the floor with her, her dress slid off by his skilled fingers. It was different than her time with Will, which had been slow and gentle and quite awkward. This was a feeling of burning heat that ripped through her body, leaving her vulnerable and quaking under his mouth, his hands. He knew how to make her shiver, to make her beg silently with her eyes and more than a few times she heard him say her name in a whisper. The dark provided a shield from conversation, but the most pleasurable event in her life happened over, and then three times as the night progressed, until they finally laid tangled up in each other on the blanket.

She heard her own voice confessing hoarsely that she loved him, and she felt his hand tighten around her waist in response. The candle had long since burned out, but she didn't have to see him to know it. She did love him, in a different way than Will but it was love. The passion she felt in her body, in her soul for him could not be extinguished; despite the vows she had made to another man she loved. She knew that it wasn't possible, wasn't right to love two at once, but that was a thought to contemplate in the light..not now.

Exhaustion finally overtook her and she fell asleep, the hard muscles of his body pressed against hers in a way that was more than comforting. It felt right.

The sunlight streaming through the window awoke her and a small smile played on her lips as she sat up, every muscle in her body aching.

But Jack was not there. "Jack?" She sat up, grabbing a sheet to wrap around her naked form despite the events of the night before.

She wandered from room to room, a lump in her throat. He was gone.

She stood forlornly in the kitchen, her arms clutching herself to stay steady. He had gone just as suddenly as he had come, turning every feeling in her heart upside down. He had made her feel alive- just as she had wanted- but why had he left? Why didn't he at least say goodbye?

An awful snake of guilt laced through her belly. What did this mean for Will?

There were no answers- and no Jack. Just the smell of him on the sheet was the only evidence he had been there at all.

To be continued……


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The sea stretched out before him, a million miles of glittering blue. Jack could not think of one place he honestly thought of as home, except the Black Pearl. It was where he was meant to be.

Weeks of sailing, no matter how much he loved it, could not dispel the thoughts that swirled about his mind constantly. There was a perfume he could smell even in his dreams, a skin that he longed to touch when he was alone in his bed.

He thought that sleeping with her would quell that hunger, make him no longer wish to kiss her lips. That was all that was between them, right? Pure lust?

But the hunger would not be sated and the longing of desire was more real than ever. He had been with her at least three times that night, and still when he stole out at sunrise he longed to go back and see her again- feel her again.

It wasn't just lust, and that's what made it dangerous. It was something more than that, something he couldn't quite name. She was married to that damn whelp and stuck on land, babysitting while waiting for her one day with her husband every ten years.

He had wanted to shake her, to make her brain rattle around a bit so she would see how bloody stupid that was. The Pirate King did not belong in some cottage. She belonged out on the water, seeing the world….on the _Black Pearl_.

Jack shook his head, moving closer to the mast. After all she had done to him- killing him, sending him to the Locker- he still wanted her. Because she was him, inside. She was more pirate than anyone else he had ever known: ruthless, loyal, in love with adventure. But her loyalty had her stuck in a marriage that she did not want, living a life she wasn't meant to lead. And Jack couldn't bear to watch her do it.

But she had tasted so good. He touched his lips, remembering. It was different than before he died, when she had devoured him and he just let her. This time it was he who did the ravishing, who made her cry out and beg and pull at his hair.

And she had said it- as she started falling asleep- that she loved him. And the world had stopped for a moment. Jack knew better than anyone that such things said in a moment of pleasure was not to be counted; yet…he knew she meant it.

He had seen the look on her face when he walked into her cottage that day, the pure happiness had radiated from her at seeing him. She had missed him and more than that, she trusted him- more than she had ever trusted Will, although he doubted that she would ever figure that out.

She had no idea what she wanted, that he knew. She wanted to keep her vows to Turner, but the pirate in her was winning the battle for her soul. She would not be able to resist the call of the ocean forever.

At least, he didn't think so.

Bugger. He let out a long breath. Tia Dalma was right when she said what vexed men was women. His night with her didn't do anything but make him obsess over her more.

"Captain?" Gibbs appeared by his side. "Are we heading back to the island soon?"

"In a few months. After this voyage is done."

"Will you be seeing Miss Elizabeth again then?"

Jack glanced at Gibbs and then quickly looked away. He had the feeling that Gibbs knew all about that night, although he didn't know how. He didn't want to be lectured on the subject and besides, what did Gibbs knowing about being with a woman? He thought them evil creatures for the most part and he would just say being with her would bring all sorts of trouble, namely the trouble of a child.

But Jack had been with many women, too many to count, in many ports. He had no children yet and…it definitely wouldn't happen with Elizabeth Turner, the thorn in his bloody side.

"No, decidedly not. Now, Gibbs, I have business to attend to below deck. We're low on rum."

For once, he knew Gibbs was right. Best to stay as far away from Elizabeth as possible, and just think about that night when…whenever he was with another woman.

Or when he was alone….

Almost four months after Jack had mysteriously vanished from her life yet again, Elizabeth walked down the street, holding Rue in her arms. The town was full of delightful things- smells, sights, sounds- but all she could hear was the beat of her heart, as steady and true as that of Will's.

What Will must think of her. Her eyes burned with unshed tears and she lowered her head, watching the ground as she walked. When she had married him, she had made vows- to be with him no matter what and even though he was now on the Flying Dutchman- those vows still held true.

And Jack..beautiful Jack, with his dark eyes that sparkled in the moonlight- he haunted her, possessed her. When she thought of him…she would turn feverish and weak like she was ill.

It was passion, what she had for him- swirling and dark and turbulent like a hurricane. Her passion for him consumed her and she felt like someone else now inhabited her body, a body that longed to cheat on her husband again. A thousand nights with Will wouldn't compare to that one with Jack and she knew it. She didn't want it to be true, but it was.

She couldn't believe the things he had done to her and how her body responded, how she responded. And what's worse, how bloody careless she was…hadn't she learned from Rue's birth that children were a tad hard to prevent?

She rested against the wall of a stone hut. He never came back. Each day she waited, waited at her door, for Jack to come sauntering through it with all his usual bravado. And each day, she was bitterly disappointed.

Why did he do that? She could still hear her own voice, her whispered confession of love, still feel his warm hands on her skin. He hadn't said anything, disappearing like a ghost before she woke. Why? Was that all she was to him- a quick way to slake his lust? Was that all she had ever been, a mere curiosity?

The more she thought about it, the more enraged she became. It wasn't fair to pin all the blame on Jack- oh no, she had wanted him just as much- but she would have never expected for him to treat her that way, to never see her again. She had believed, deep down inside, that he was a good man- an honest man. Pirate to the core, but a man of noble character.

How it hurt to be wrong about that.

She pressed a hand to her mouth, feeling sick in the heat. It was no good to be wandering about town like this with the baby, exposing him to the sun. She knew what she was doing- biding her time and waiting for Jack to return.

That time had passed. She knew she would just have to accept the fact that he would not be coming back and move on with her life- her life with her son, and being faithful to her husband. She hoped, prayed, that Will did not know what she had done. Her infidelity she wanted to carry to her grave, never revealing that or the fact that she was in love with a rogue pirate.

A rogue pirate who had broke her heart into a million pieces and was sailing the seas and probably enjoying the carnal pleasures of whores even as she spoke. A pirate who didn't love her…who would never love her.

The only love she could count on was Will's. His love was for certain, eternal- like his service on the _Dutchman_. The time was nigh to start being a real wife to him and to lay all thoughts otherwise to the side.

She kissed Rue's forehead, heading toward the small shack at the back of the village. She knew what to do: she knew this woman. This was the place all the wenches went to when they found themselves pregnant…a place where the problem would conveniently be handled, like it never existed.

She was not going to have Jack Sparrow's baby. She would only have one child, Rue, the son of Will Turner. Her husband deserved better than this- to come home and find a child that was not his. And Jack…she didn't need anything to remind her of him. He had to be dead to her or…or her heart would never belong to Will.

She had to go ahead and do this, before it became too late.

But her nerve almost failed her that night as she walked to the shack. Could she really do this…not have her child? Never mind that it was Jack's, it was also her own. A part of her, like sweet Rue was.

She stopped outside the door, taking a deep breath. She raised her hand to knock when she heard two voices inside speaking in hushed tones.

"That's what they're all saying, Opal, that Jack Sparrow was here last week- THE Captain Jack Sparrow. Stole into port all secret like and went to the tavern."

What? Jack was here? Her heart started racing in her chest and she strained to listen.

"And I heard Thea was upstairs all night with him. That girl has all the luck, for being such a cheap looking thing."

He had come to the island…and hadn't seen her. Had spent the night with some other woman..in some other woman's bed. While she had waited by the fire, praying he would come.

The lump in her throat constricted and she took a step backward. No. She would not go in there and have this done, knowing the two women would tell the whole town….

And next time Captain Jack Sparrow came into port, he would go to the tavern and hear how Elizabeth Swann had come to get rid of her problem. And…oh damn, then he would know his night with her had been more than what it was.

No. She would never give him the pleasure of knowing what he had done- made her with child and killed her soul. He would never find out about his child, she would make sure of that.

She would go, with Rue, to a place where no one knew them. There, she would have her baby. Her baby, and come back in nine years to see Will again. She would just have to explain it then, or hide the child away…she would cross that bridge when the time came. But Jack Sparrow would never find out about the pain he had caused her.

Undoubtedly, he had wanted to pay her back for his death. He would never hear from her again, but most important…he would never know his child.

She walked purposefully toward her home to collect Rue. She would take the first ship out to the New World in the morning. Time to begin a new life…as Elizabeth Swann Turner, a woman bound by her vows, not her passions.

To be continued…..


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Jack flipped the compass open again, watching as it swung haphazardly from one side to the other.

Bugger. It had done this once before, before Lizzie sent him to the Locker. And now it was doing it again, taunting him. He knew what he wanted, and that was to sail in the right direction. No matter what the damn compass indicated.

There was no noise, just the crush of the waves against the ship as he contemplated his map. He had the Pearl back- and what a bloody fight that had been- but he knew Barbossa would stop at nothing to get it in his greasy hands again. So he planned to make port as soon as possible, pick up a few more crew members and set sail promptly again.

It had been a year, he supposed, since he had spent that night with Elizabeth. A year in which no amount of women, treasure or rum would dispel her memory. He had been alright though, living the lack of Captain Jack Sparrow even if his heart wasn't always in it. And now…the compass refused to work, but he was vexed once again. Or cursed. Cursed for eternity, like Will Turner.

He had went back to see her, two months before. She was no longer there- someone in the town said she had left months earlier, on a ship. No one knew where she was going or why she had decided to go. The news had hit him like a stab in his heart. Would he never see her again?

He did not think he could ever visit her again; it would just be sheer torture for them both. To have stolen nights, moments of passion before he headed out to sea, not unlike what she had with her husband. It wasn't right for either of them, especially him, and he wanted to stay as far away from Elizabeth Turner as possible.

"Far away!" he growled at the compass as the needle spun around once again. He knew his wish to stay away was a lie…He wanted to see her again. That was the whole reason for going back to that island in the first place. He had wanted to gather news of her, make sure she and her son were well. Instead….

One thought lingered in the back of his mind, a thought that made his rum taste bitter in his mouth. Suppose she had found a man? Is that why she had left the island?

He couldn't imagine it…no, didn't want to imagine it. Elizabeth was all pirate inside, guided by her instincts and desires, although she was still loyal to those she loved. But her want for him had not changed, despite being married to Will, so why would it be impossible for her to find someone new? A sailor, a…a pirate perhaps. Not that, he hoped. Rage and jealousy twisted his heart as he thought about her being with another pirate.

He could bear the thought of her still loving Will, but no one else. He took another swig of rum, throwing the bottle in the corner with all the others. "Bloody compass, just show me the way!"

He stopped short, staring at it. It was pointing directly east.

"A heading!" He said triumphantly, picking it up. It did not even waver. "Finally!"

He rushed out toward the deck, calling for the crew. However, a lingering doubt nagged at him. The compass was pointing in a direction, but to WHAT exactly? To the crew he wanted or…something else entirely?

Elizabeth knew when she had awaked that morning that something bad was on the horizon. She could feel it- tension in the air. The sea was restless, rain pelting down upon her cottage all day.

She had found home in this town, by the shore. She felt at home and at peace around sailors and people like her. People like the children's fathers.

Rue was walking and talking, although not talking so much. He looked like her, with goldish hair and soft brown eyes. He loved the shore more than anything and each day she took him to see the boats.

Will's heart sat safely inside the chest, hidden in their home. She never heard any news of him, why should she? His heart beat on, never giving her a sign if he had found out about her infidelity. About her daughter, Salem.

But who could have regrets about something so lovely? She loved Jack's daughter just as much as she did Will's son. Coming to this large port in the colonies had been a good thing for her- it got her off that island, away from the constant talk of Will and Jack. The two men that owned her heart were never far from her mind.

Forgetting about Jack had never happened. She had tried, but when Salem was born she gave up all hope of that. One look into her dark, exotic eyes and Elizabeth would brood for days over memories of her lover. She never heard anything about him here, since seeing pirates was rare. As long as he had the Black Pearl, she knew he was happy. And despite the heartbreak he had caused her, the soul searing pain, she wanted him to be happy.

Once upon a time, he would have wanted that for her, too.

People here were good to her, an unmarried mother. She let them believe that her husband had been killed, so she wouldn't be thrown out of town for being a harlot. If anyone noticed how different the children looked from one another, they didn't mention it.

As much as it hurt her, she had to admit Salem was all Jack. She had his eyes, his unruly jet-black hair, his complete stubbornness. Her brother was quickly learning that it was always best to give her her way and avoid a war, a trait that was so much like Will it made her heart ache.

She loved too many, too much. She would cry at night, wishing it was different. Wishing for her one night with Will, or a million with Jack. Or the other way around, just wishing for anything. But other nights she was fine. More than fine- she was strong.

But she was jerked from sleep that night not because of the children, but from the sound of waves. The crashing of the waves against the rocks outside, and the sound of a ship.

A ship coming into harbor was nothing new, but this was an odd time of night…unless the ship was full of pirates.

A shiver ran through her, a shiver of excitement. Pirates could be bad, very bad but…it could be something else entirely. She knew that she should just stay in bed, in her cottage safe with her children…but she was still the Pirate King, even marooned on land. She wanted to know what was happening at the dock.

She stole quickly out of her cozy house, wrapped a shawl about her even though it was futile with the whipping winds. The misting rain pelted her face but she crept closer and closer to the water's edge.

A ship….a ship with black sails. The Black Pearl.

Her heart stopped in her chest and then starting thumping so fast she could barely breathe. No. The Pearl…Jack's ship. Jack was here, only several hundred feet away.

Every instinct in her body was telling her to run as fast as she could for the house and lock all the doors. But instead she stood rooted to the spot, her stomach churning like the waves and watched as Captain Jack Sparrow walked out on the shore.

She couldn't see him clearly, but she would know him anywhere. His black dreadlocks swung in the wind, one hand clutched a sword and the other the compass.

Jack didn't understand it. The compass led them here, to this port, yet….the compass's needle swung yet again, pointing straight ahead.

"Bloody hell, what the-,"

He stared at what was standing a few yards in front of him, on the rocks. A woman…long blonde hair, a sun tanned face. Wrapped in a blanket, but obviously wearing simple dress, she stood staring straight back at him.

Elizabeth. The realization struck him and the sword nearly dropped from his hand. The compass hadn't been leading him to a port and crew. It had been leading to what vexed him most.

"Elizabeth!" he called out, staggering forward.

She looked like a frightened doe, her body tense as she turned to run. But her foot slipped off the rock and she went tumbling down with a screech.

Jack, startled, reached her before she could get up again. "Elizabeth?!"

She just wanted to be away, far away. Away from this man, away from those damn eyes. But she swallowed all her fear and said simply "Jack Sparrow."

"What…what are you doing here?"

"I live here. What are you doing in my town?" she asked, her voice as cold as ice. "Stealing, looting, all that pirate business?"

"Of course, love. And looking for a crew to help the Pearl along. I can't run it meself."

Their night lay between them, causing them both to look away. It had been over a year, but the hurt and pleasure of it all was still fresh in their memories.

Lizzie was never one for running away. But for the first time, she decided to embrace that old pirate tradition and do just that. "Goodbye, Captain Sparrow." She jerked her arm away from him and started running for her home again, despite her throbbing ankle.

"Stop! You'll break your ankle and I be wanting information on where to find a crew in this place." He was clearly perplexed and nonchalant and it just angered her even more. Wasn't he aware of the HELL he caused her? Why didn't he have the decency to just get back on the ship and LEAVE?

"I can't help you." She lied, flushing under his intense gaze.

"Or…could there be another reason you won't help me?" He glanced toward the house.

"What?" she snapped, not understanding. "There's no help to give. Now…go."

His mouth curled into an unpleasant smile. "Go, then. I will leave out with the crew at first light while you sit here and wait for William Turner to return."

"Back…out to sea?" Her heart was thumping madly again, her palms sweaty. If only.."I wish I could go." She gasped a little, shocked at her own words.

He looked at her closely. She wasn't lying, or bitter for once. Her sincerity, her longing was written all over her face. "Then come…come back to the ship with me now. "

"I- I…" she shook her head. "

"The Pirate King…could be of use to a ship. To a voyage."

"I have…other things to think of, Jack."

"The lad, yes, bring him as well. He is born of pirates, he will be a pirate."

She knew she should tell him there, but the fever was upon her again, sweeping her along and she couldn't waste time on thinking logically. "Give me time to pack."

His dark eyes glittered dangerously and she felt another feeling of warmth pool in her belly. What happened between them must not happen again. No matter what.

But to sail…oh to sail, she would give up everything in the world. And risk the wrath of Davy- er, William Turner's Locker to feel the breeze on her face, the mast under her hands.

She couldn't trust Jack now. But she had a loaded pistol, Will's heart in a chest and a sword. Jack Sparrow would not be her undoing.

To be continued…..


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

There was little time to pack. Which was good, since Elizabeth knew if she had time to contemplate, she wouldn't get on the ship.

It was an insane plan, a plan that could go awry in so many ways. She knew that, but she felt as if her own heart had been bound in a box, unable to roam free. One of her five loves- the sea- was calling her back out. The place that was her true home.

She packed only the necessities, knowing dawn would be breaking soon. And then the _Pearl _would sail, bound for whatever destination Jack's compass pointed them toward.

Will would hate his heart being taken aboard the ship, but there was no place on land she could put it where it would be safe. But she promised to keep it with her always and so she would.

Gibbs was waiting for her on the dock, right before sunrise. "Captain Elizabeth! Captain Sparrow is waiting for you in his cabin."

She glanced at him sharply, wondering how much he knew. If the whole crew knew what was going on or…what **had** went on between them.

She saw his eyes drop then, to the baby she had cradled against her chest. He looked down at Rue, who was clutching her hand. The questions were there, written so plainly across his face but he didn't say a word, just pursing his lips as he picked up her bags.

She nodded hellos to the rest of the crew, keeping her head up and trying to be as dignified as she could. She paused in front of Jack's door, taking a deep breath and trying to quell her jangled nerves. Her hands were shaking so hard, she noticed as she opened the door. "Jack?"

Jack was lounging in his chair beside his window, watching the first glimpses of the sun. "Can still see the stars, love."

"I know. It's beautiful….looking out over the water like this." She shifted, her heart still thumping furiously. What was he going to do? What was he going to say?

His heavy boots hit the floor with a thud as he stood, finally turning to face her. Her breath caught in her throat.

She looked different in the light, he noted: wiser, harder. More pirate than soft flower now. Not that a woman who had murdered a man, then risked life and limb to save that man was ever soft and gentle.

The boy stood beside her, so much older and bigger than when Jack had seen him last. He stood on unsteady legs, but Jack could see his father in his small face. Will would be proud to have such a son….any man would.

But all those thoughts flew from his mind as he stared at the child clutched to her chest. It was small, to be sure, and bundled in so many blankets he couldn't see its face. But it was a baby's form, no doubt about that.

A dreadful tightness clutched his chest, made him take a quick step forward. It couldn't…how? Will couldn't come on land, so this couldn't be her child, unless….

Unless…

His eyes glittered dangerously and Elizabeth found herself drawing in a sharp breath, poised for a fight. He motioned toward the baby and she hated the way her voice sounded, shaky and unsure. "She's mine, Jack."

"I thought so, Lizzie, what with you bringing her on me ship and all. And who's the father of this one? Unless you somehow joined Mr. Turner aboard the _Dutchman_…" He knew he sounded hopeful and he hated it. It was infuriating, her still caring for the whelp, but her having a child by him was better than someone else…some other man she was with.

Elizabeth couldn't lie, couldn't find the strength to say anything under his intense stare. She felt like his eyes were burning holes into her flesh, seeing right through her to her soul. He could unnerve her with just one stare and she knew she couldn't collect herself enough to come up with a good course of action.

"My heart belongs to more than one, Jack." She said softly. "Where is my cabin?"

She never expected him to accept that answer, she quite expected him to throw her off the ship instead. Much to her surprise, he gestured around the room. "This is it, love. There is plenty of room for their things. The crew has occupied all the other quarters. I must go direct my ship, don't have time for all these things."

He breezed by her, hardly glancing her way as he made his exit. It was almost worse than his anger, having his cold indifference. He was treating her as if she was little more than someone they dragged from the sea, someone he had never met nor cared for.

Hot tears pricked her eyes as the door clicked shut behind him. She chose to take action rather than just standing there like a simpleton, launching herself into unpacking her things. Rue plopped down, playing with a pair of Jack's boots as his mother admired the cabin. It was a nice place, to be sure, a place of refuge for the captain. Now a place for all of them, even though she could feel the presence of Jack lingering in the room after he had gone. How he must hate her now…

Jack stood at the stern for over two hours, just gazing out at the open water. Elizabeth was perfectly capable of taking care of herself and besides….he knew not what to say to her.

She was being as maddeningly elusive as Tia Dalma, not telling him who the father of her child was. She had answered him, but had been so vague he couldn't decipher what she meant. Of course her heart belonged to more than one, otherwise she wouldn't even be on his ship.

But how could it be Turner's child? There was always magic that had to be factored in, perhaps she had found a way on board…but he doubted it. That was not a place for the living.

He knew Elizabeth was impulsive, although admittedly not as spontaneous as him. It was possible she had had some fling, resulting in the birth of her daughter. That thought made him even MORE insanely jealous and it was small comfort that she was here with him now, not with someone else.

But standing out on deck obsessing over it wasn't helping matters. He needed answers and intended to demand them from Elizabeth. No matter how many children she had he wouldn't be able to strike her from his life. He knew the forgiveness- like the passion- he had for her had no bounds, if he still wanted her after her murdering him, he would be able to let something as small as this go.

Elizabeth Swann was on his ship, in his cabin. He wasn't going to lose her again, not to Will, or to land, or to bitterness.

He turned on his heel and started for his room again. He found Elizabeth lying on the bed, deep in sleep, with both children lying beside her.

It was too strange to see her in his bed. He'd never thought he'd see that.

He approached the bed, sliding onto the edge silently. He wanted to shake the treacherous wench awake and demand to know what was going on, but he refrained, preferring to watch her sleep.

Instead he leaned over and slowly pushed the blankets away from the baby's face so he could see her clearly for the first time.

It was so achingly quiet for a moment, just the sound of their breathing and the water breaking against the ship. Jack felt like an eternity passed while staring at her, like looking at a piece of cursed treasure.

Salem was quiet too, yawning as she opened up her eyes just a bit. Jack felt like he had just seen the sunrise after being in the Locker. The truth was laid out before him- the truth about it all. Why Elizabeth had left, whose child this was…

He reached out, touching a lock of her ink black hair, tracing his jeweled fingers down her tiny face. She didn't cry out, didn't move, even as Jack pulled back and stared, wide eyed.

"She's my daughter."

To be continued….


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Elizabeth awoke slowly, more rested than she had felt in ages. How long had she slept? It must have been hours at least. Rue lay curled up beside her, still sleeping soundly. He would sleep for days if she allowed it.

Jack's bed was comfortable, more than that. She had expected rough sheets, a lumpy matress. Jack didn't seem the type to set store by his bed, but it reminded her of the bed she used to lie in back at the Governor's mansion. The bed where she would dream about pirates, read about a man named Jack Sparrow…

She sat up, her hair falling down from the tight bun she had kept it in. She stared down at the bed in confusion, her heart beginning to make small little jumps. Where was Salem?

She moved quickly, rushing about the room. She wasn't big enough to walk and….had someone come in to get her? One of the crew or…Jack…but why?

Where could she be?

"Calm down, Elizabeth." She growled to herself. "It's a ship, it's not like there's a billion places she could be." She darted down the hall.

She was breathing hard and frantic when she finally reached the dining room, but as the heavy doors swung shut behind her she couldn't catch a breath.

There was Jack, sitting in a large chair, holding Salem. All his rings were laying on the table and it was so strange to see his hands, strong and tanned, holding a small infant.

She opened her mouth to say something but found her mouth to be as dry as dust.

It was Jack who spoke first, breaking the odd silence of the room. "A curious thing, Lizzie." His eyes didn't move from Salem's face. "When were you planning on telling me this is my daughter?"

She wore no corset now, but was finding it hard to breathe. She pressed a clutched fist to her abdomen, licking her lips. Of course he had found out, it was hard to hide things from Jack but the girl looked so much like him…

His eyes swung to hers, piercing her with his dark gaze.

"Jack…you left. You never came back, I never had a chance to tell you…you just spent the night with me and left in the morning without a goodbye, like I was a Tortuga whore! I waited at first and then….I decided to take the children and go. Raise them where you would never know what you had done to me."

His hands tightened around the baby. "So you regret it then?"

"No. I did at the time…before she was born. I regretted being with you, l- feeling for you. Getting pregnant with her. I have no regrets about having her, she's a part of me."

"What's her name? Elizabeth?"

"Goodness, no. Why would I name her after me? Her name is Salem."

"Good name. A pirate name."

"She is not a pirate." She bristled. "She's a baby."

"I'm a pirate and you are. That makes her a pirate by birth, whether you think so or not. Savvy?" Salem made a grab for his various rings for the table and he chuckled. "See? Thief even now."

"I'm glad the name pleases you." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I've had two children now without the father around. I lived in a hell that would make you happy, Jack. I was stuck in a Locker of my own making."

He looked at her again, holding the baby in one arm as he stood. "And now you're free."

She shook her head, angry he would write off her pain and suffering as trifles.

They stood facing each other, the tension and emotion palpable in the room yet again.

"you are free now. Come." He took her hand, pulling her to the open window. "Look out there."

She stared out, at the sun sparkling on the water, the birds flying up to meet the sky. He came up behind her, which made her stiffen. But he simply took one of her hands, holding it out the window.

She closed her eyes and oh…she could feel. The spray of the sea on her palms was like sinking into the softest satin, falling away from the world. She gasped softly as Jack's fingers traced around her wrists, skimming just lightly on her fingers.

Her other hand grasped the windowsill as she pressed herself against the wall, wanting to taste more of the sea air, feel more of the breeze. For once, she was a part of something that wasn't binding- the ocean, that moved and tumbled and changed swiftly.

Jack loved the sea, the most untameable of all women. He was a part of it, like she was a part of it, like her children would be. He didn't expect her to change or conform, because he didn't expect that of what he loved most.

"Freedom." He whispered in her hair, watching her as she escaped from the world she didn't like being a part of. "This is what you've longed for."

She could feel the tears coursing down her face, hot salty rivers. "Freedom…." Freedom was what she wanted, what she always wanted. Jack knew that, Jack held the keys to the chest of her heart. He had the opportunity to let her go, let her feel all she had to feel, or to keep her chained up…like Will had.

He would let her have her freedom, her soul, her power. He didn't want to break her. He would let her have her freedom, her soul, her power. He didn't want to break her. He accepted her selfishness, her greed and her turbulent emotions as part of her, as important and treasured as her beauty and loyalty.

She tasted her tears as she opened her eyes again. This was her life…their life. The life she wanted, she craved, just as she desired the man standing behind her. How could this be wrong?

"Jack…"

To be continued….


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

There was little else to be said that night, nothing that needed to be spoken between them. Words never mattered much to them anyway, speaking mattered so much more in her relationship with Will.

Not that there was a relationship with Jack…or was there? How could you be in a relationship with two men at once?

All she had said to him was his name, as she turned to him with tears in her eyes, and he understood. He hadn't said anything, just stood there holding her daughter- their daughter- and let her walk past, out to the deck.

She was as nervous that night as she would have been on her wedding night, had she ever had a proper one. She had no love now for the frills and absurdities of a dress, but Jack didn't really like her in men's clothes. He had told her that once: "It should be a dress, or nothing."

She smiled at the memory, pressing the silver earrings her father had bought her long ago into her ears. She didn't wear them much, since they dangled almost to her shoulders and she had no use for them now, as a mother, but she wanted to feel like a woman. A woman she had been bred to be- beautiful, ornate and proud.

She buttoned the back of her simple black dress, pressing a hand underneath her breasts. Her heart was fluttering about so much she was worried she might pass out. That would be horrible, to faint in front of Jack, who would tease her mercilessly.

She sat on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair. She was grateful the children were with him, leaving her time to dress and think in peace. He was kind to Rue, she had noted, which shouldn't have surprised her- Jack was a good man, she knew that. He didn't resent her, or Rue, or even Will for that matter. He had given up his dreams of immortality so Will could live on, in a sense at least.

They had never spoke of that. Perhaps it was best not to ever speak of it, to let it lie as so many other things. She didn't know how to thank him for that, or if she should. Will was with his father now, but at the expense of not being with her. She didn't even know if he was happy.

She thought, when he had left, that she would be able to feel his emotions, hear his every thought as clearly as she heard the thump of his heart. But that was not how it was- the magic didn't work like that.

"A blessing." She said softly as she stood up. "That he doesn't know what I'm feeling now."

Jack had spent the few remaining hours of sunlight on deck, snapping orders at his crew ignoring their questioning looks. Of course their curiosity was peaked, with Elizabeth on board and now Salem, who obviously favored him.

But he wasn't one for giving straight answers. Rue was sitting beside his boot but he held Salem tight in his arms. He found caring for them easy even though he had no real experience with small children. He had always liked them, though. Children were amazingly simple compared to adults, especially those who WEREN'T pirates.

The moon had rose high above their heads and he knew Elizabeth would be waiting for him in the dining room, where they had agreed to meet for dinner. They hadn't spoke since that morning and know he wondered if in the dark, the sparkling glitter of the sea invisible, if she would still look at him with her heart plain on her face.

Her decision in her eyes. He had doubt that he would, that she would be the hard Elizabeth he had picked up off the shore, hiding all from him behind veiled eyes.

"Gibbs! You're on night watch!" he barked, scooping up Rue with his other tanned arm.

"Aye, Captain." Gibbs watched as Jack headed to the dining room door.

"Oh and Mr. Gibbs, me and Captain Swann will be eating dinner with our daughter and her son tonight and wish not to be disturbed, savvy?" Jack enjoyed the shocked look on Gibbs face before he slammed the door shut.

Elizabeth was waiting on him, sitting at the head of the table as a man would. Where Jack always sat. He could see her eyes sparking like tiny embers in the candlelight and he felt a stir of passion for her.

"They're in one piece." She smirked, rising to walk over to take Salem out of his arms.

"Was no trouble. Both are quiet lots."

"You haven't seen them early in the morning yet." She laughed but her eyes stayed latched onto his a little too long, her hand lingered on his a moment too much.

His gaze didn't leave her as she fed the children, ushering them off to bed. She had made a makeshift cradle for Salem out of a large basket, padding it with blankets so she would have somewhere of her own to sleep. Rue would sleep on the floor, as he often did at home.

When she reentered the room he took in her dress, how it wrapped around the small curve of her waist and displayed rather pleasing cleavage. Tiny beams of light reflected off her earrings, making her look almost magical and ethereal. Like….

"Calypso." He said softly, tilting his bottle of rum.

Her brow furrowed as she sat on the edge of the table, watching his mouth turn up into the smallest of smiles. "Why did you say her name?"

"She is never far from a pirate's mind."

She sniffed. "A male pirate."

His grin widened then. "Aye, unless you felt something for her…"

She scowled, hitting his arm with her hand. "I'm not in the mood for this, Jack Sparrow."

"Just exactly what are you in the mood for, love?" His eyes pierced her, making her flush. It wasn't right the way he could unnerve her.

"I'm not sure…" she murmured coyly, her black boot snaking around the bottom of his chair leg.

One of his hands slid up her leg slowly and the cold metal of his rings made her shiver just the tiniest bit. "Why do you lie, Lizzie?"

His hands were suddenly on her waist, undoing buttons as her hands came up to rake through his hair.

"Pirate, remember?" she whispered against his cheek, opening her mouth so he could claim her finally.

He liked her in a dress- liked the feeling of the material in his hands as he touched her, but was careful to avoid the sharp knife he knew she kept hidden in her leather boot.

Her eyes closed as her bare skin was exposed to the cool air, arching her back skillfully as her dress was pulled apart by his rough hands.

She pressed her hands to his tattooed arms, muscles firm and hard. "The…Salem and Rue…"

"Will be asleep for hours." His voice was just a whisper against her bare neck, his hands expertly sliding between her thighs.

That wasn't what she had wanted to ask; she had wanted to question him about his intentions, if he loved them- if he loved Salem, if he was going to be a father….

But the words were lost as she was laid against the hard table, turning her head and gasping as his fingers pressed into her. Her nails dug into her own skin, drawing tiny pricks of blood and his mouth delved lower, pressing hot kisses to the taunt skin of her belly.

And for a few minutes, Elizabeth didn't think of a thing. Not Will or the babies or anything…just Jack and the gentle rocking of the sea beneath her. She felt tossed to and fro with the waves, floating above it all. Being in the moment, acting on pure instinct even as she cried out his name, over and over until her voice trailed off into a feeble whisper.

His voice was saying her name, her body as limp as a rag doll. She never thought she would move a muscle again; she just wanted to stay where she was forever. But her body reacted without her, moving to respond to his kiss, her hands as light as butterflies on him.

Impulse- she couldn't stop now even if she wanted to. She was too caught, too consumed by the smell and taste and touch of him. Infatuation, lust, and a little more than that…

Falling, tumbling down into that well of love again was a scary thing. Especially when she still loved the man who gave her his name.

But her mouth breathed the words that were written in her heart. "I love you."

There was no more talking for a while.

To be continued….


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Jack saw no reason to care what the crew thought, it was his bloody ship and daughter and relationship. To hell with the crew.

But he knew there was talk, lots of talk behind his back amongst the other men. They thought him a fool for being with her, thought it tempting the worst kind of luck to be with Will Turner's wife and playing father to his child.

Elizabeth spoke little of Will, although she would stare out at the horizon with a look of absolute worry on her face. A few weeks had passed since he had found her again, but he wasn't keeping up with time accurately. He had no use for days and hours when he found his time spent in bed with Elizabeth, being a father and watching Elizabeth.

He turned and stared at the heavy wooden door that separated him and Elizabeth. She would be out on deck often, giving orders despite his annoyance with that. He was proud of her, but he was captain of the ship and there was no reason for anyone to forget that.

The door swung open and Jack's eyebrow lifted in surprise as Elizabeth strode out, carrying both children. "Jack Sparrow, why don't you do something useful?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, love-," He broke off as she shoved Salem into his arms. "What the-,"

"You can watch her for a while and I'll watch the wheel." She spun on her heel, Rue still positioned on her hip.

"Look here, Lizzie, this is me ship. And I'm the captain. Not you."

"I'm the Pirate King, remember? And that trumps being a captain."

He scowled at her back, glancing down uneasily at the squalling child in his arms. "And what am I supposed to do exactly?"

She whirled around, eyes flashing. "She's yours, Jack. Rue's father is gone for ten years and for all I know, he doesn't even know he exists. What is this to you? What is she to you? Are you planning to be her father and help out or not?"

She knew part of her outburst wasn't fair, Jack was a good man despite the front he put on. But she had to know for sure what was going on between them. Sleeping with Jack and waking up naked in his arms each morning was enjoyable and she was happy (despite some still lingering guilt over Will) but she had to ask.

"Ah. So that's it then." He was silent and she couldn't see his face because of the glare of the sun.

It was too quiet for a few moments and she blurted out "What's it then?"

He looked at her for just a moment and then looked down at the small boy clutching his pants leg. "For whatever reason, you think I don't want to have anything to do with you or the children and you've decided not to trust that I'll stay and not leave you all on some forsaken island."

Color flushed her cheeks and she shuffled her feet uncertainly. She swallowed the barb at Will but he was right, he had given her no reason not to trust him. And he did love his daughter, or was beginning to, she had to admit. He often gazed at her with something that looked like wonderment. It always chilled her to see that- the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow amazed at something.

"Jack, I….you're a good man."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Then why are you questioning me?"

"I don't need another husband leaving me alone with a child, although I can handle it." She didn't notice her slip of the tongue, calling him her husband, but Jack noted it with pride. Elizabeth was changing, her ideas and her purpose, although she didn't notice how swiftly she was becoming a true Pirate King.

Salem's eyes, the mirror image of Jack's, grew wide as the wind whipped around them. He pulled the blanket tight about her, his gaze not on Elizabeth. "The Pearl has a captain and can use a…captains assistant, as it were. A Pirate King, for in times of negotiation. And two small potential sailors will come in handy in a few years when we need more hands on deck. Little Mr. Turner here has quite a skill when it comes to navigating, I can see already."

Elizabeth's heart skipped like a schoolgirl's when she saw that Rue held Jack's compass in his grubby hands, frowning at it as the needle swung to and fro. He let no one hold that compass, except her and he was letting her son play with it.

It was as much as an answer as she was going to get out of him. She smiled brilliantly, teeth flashing as she leaned back against the mast. "He will be an amazing captain."

"Aye." And he left her standing there as he took both children to the wheel, a smile of happiness still playing on her lips.

"We're never going to find the Fountain if we keep getting sidetracked by each beautiful island we come across."

"We'll still beat Barbossa there. He can't keep a crew in line." Jack replied smugly.

She ignored that comment with the contempt it deserved and fingered the gold necklace that was hung around her neck. "But if we keep finding stuff like this on those islands…"

"Greedy you are, Lizzie." She could barely see him in the dark. "Obsessed with treasure."

"And you're any better?" It was so wonderful to be giddy, to laugh in the dark with Jack. She whirled about to face him, the wool blanket sliding away from her naked body.

"I like treasure as much as the next man, but especially when it is worn like this." He touched the necklace dangling between her breasts. "All the more lovely."

Her breath caught in her throat at the heated feeling his hands brought her. "I've never owned this much gold."

"Being William Turner's bride in Port Royal, you might never have seen it."

She wasn't sure if that was a dig at Will or not, but it didn't matter. Just the mention of Will made her draw back hesitantly, glancing toward the closet where his chest lay.

"He loves you." Jack spoke simply. "It was as plain as day for all to see. He didn't want you to be alone on that island, either."

She crossed her arms around herself, shivering despite the warmth of his flesh. "He never said."

There was just silence, the sound of her heavy breathing. She wished he would say something and offer some word of comfort, but he didn't. Jack was still a mystery to her.

"I don't feel guilty for this, Jack. "

"Is that right, darling?" His voice was a lazy drawl, but it wouldn't have been worse if it had been as sharp as glass.

"I don't." She lifted her chin. Poor Will..how often she thought of him. How cut off he was from her, not even knowing about his son. His son that looked more like him by the day. "Being out here on the sea feels right. With you. But…" she hesitated, stealing a glance at him. "When he gets his day on land, I will be there. I am not turning him into what Davy Jones became."

Her tone left no room for argument, she hoped, but Jack offered no argument at all.

"I knew that, love. You did marry him in the first place, not me. There's no accounting for taste." He sniffed.

Jack would never admit it, but she knew deep down he had cared for Will, almost like a brother. That was why he had been so angry when he had betrayed him to free his father.

He loved Salem, but as Rue grew and grew faster each day, she noticed him leaving her side, going to join Jack at the stern. It hurt a little; to see the child she had borne becoming so attached to another. Rue followed Jack's every move and would sit on the steps patiently, playing with the compass.

Little boys needed a father and Jack was all he knew. One day, when he was older and able to understand she would have to explain to him who his real father was and where he had gone. But that time was not now. For now, Rue was Jack's shadow and Jack was patient and kind, never stern or annoyed when he had to slow to meet Rue's steps.

And oh God, it made her love Jack more with each hour. Right or wrong.

"I'm in your bed, I suppose there is no accounting for taste."

She bit back a grin as he turned his back to her indignantly. "Goodnight, Jack."

To be continued…..


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Time had not stayed still for them, nor did Elizabeth want it to. Each day was a new adventure and a new chance to see more of the world. She wanted to see it all before she died.

Which according to Jack, would never happen. Finding the Fountain of youth- or Aqua La Vida, which was how it rolled off Jack's tongue- had taken longer than either of them could have imagined. He was still bent on it, so they could live forever.

She was all for living forever, but they had yet to leave this island. A beautiful place they had stopped in a storm…a gorgeous place. Lush trees, the greenest of grass, sparkling streams of the clearest blue. Fruits clung to every vine and each day was more beautiful and clear than the one before it.

They stayed there for a long while. It was irresistible, the draw the place had on them. Elizabeth and Jack, sailors at heart, were as happy on that spit of land as they were on the Black Pearl. She couldn't explain why they felt the need to stay there a while; they just ended up doing so.

It was their Eden.

Rue was a strong little boy now, a child who ran on sturdy legs and climbed trees at lightning speed. He looked so much like Will with his brown hair and brown eyes, fair skin that didn't tan much even in the blistering sun.

But his temperament was all Jack- wild and unpredictable and unexpectedly sweet. He lacked his father's patience and gentleness, but he still clung to Jack like a shadow. Each day he trailed behind the man who had become his father, exploring the woods and beaches with him.

Salem grew too- she wasn't a baby anymore. Her speech wasn't quite as good as her brother's, and she acted like Elizabeth, but she was Jack in every feature. Her black hair would never straighten no matter how many times a brush was ran through it, her skin a soft gold that made her eyes glitter like dark coals.

Elizabeth turned when she heard the voices of her family, underbrush trampled as Rue ran to her side. "Father said we set sail on the Black Pearl tonight!" he reported breathlessly, grasping her arm.

She smiled down at the wiggling little boy and glanced up at Jack as he came into sight. "Is that so?"

"That is, if Captain Swann will acquiesce to that request." Jack tipped the brim of his hat to her. "Young Master Rue here feels we should sail out with all haste."

"Me, too." Salem piped up, her small tricorn hat falling over her face.

"They just miss the ship." Elizabeth smiled in amusement. "We shall set out tonight, if the crew wishes to. I've missed my ship, too."

"My ship." He growled.

"Actually, Captain Sparrow, I won it from you a fortnight ago in a game of cards. You will have to settle for being Commodore Sparrow now." She teased mercilessly.

"You cheated and I shall win it back later tonight." He scowled at her, the beads in his hair clicking at his bent down to Salem and Rue's height. "Since we are leaving tonight, why don't you two go off and look for some treasure we might have overlooked, eh?"

They rushed off; Salem struggling to keep up with Rue's much more hurried pace, as always. "Never thought I'd see the day when our children wanted to leave this place." He remarked, a small smile twitching on his lips.

"They're meant for the sea." She replied softly. "Just as we are."

Our children. She barely noticed when he said that now because it was so natural. She knew the day was rapidly approaching when she must tell Rue the truth, but he was still so small. He had a right to know, and when that day arrived, Will had a right to see his son.

She glanced at her smallest son, nestled in his cradle. Keaton, like Salem, was all Jack and she wondered if she'd ever have another child that looked the least bit like her. Not that she had any clue how many more children they'd have, these things just sort of…happened. "And I have no intention of letting you win the Pearl back from me."

"Oh, but I will. Even if I have to create a mutiny."

Classic Jack. She rushed toward him and kissed him, a hard, passionate kiss. She wasn't ever going to be alone again like she was after Rue's birth. She had family again, a man that loved her and a purpose in life.

And wherever he was out there, Will had his purpose. One of the most important purposes in the ocean. And a family- his father, at least.

But she had his heart, so she pulled away from Jack. "We will return here one day?" her voice was hopeful.

"Aye, love. That is for certain. Much quieter than Tortuga." He smiled, but his eyes watched her closely, knowing the importance of her question.

She glanced out the window, watching as the sun sank a little behind the treetops. "I will be back within an hour so we can cast off."

He moved toward her. "I can come with you."

"No, stay and wait for the children. We have little to pack and they can help you with that." She reached under the bed and picked up Will's chest, carrying it outside.

There was a small breeze down beside the pond, where she stopped and knelt down. The ground was moist from the water and it didn't take her long to dig a hole large enough for the box.

"This isn't forever." She said quietly as she pressed more earth to the top. "Just until we come back. And I'll keep coming back- forever- to check on it. But it's safe here, like I promised. And I'll be there on that day, like I promised."

There wasn't a sound save for the chirp of the birds around her. It felt right to leave it here, in this place she had come to love. His heart didn't belong on board a ship, it belonged on solid land.

"I love you, Will." She spoke quietly into the air as she stood, brushing dirt from her dress.

And she did. She waited eagerly for the day he would be with her again and she would feel his mouth upon hers. But Jack was also her future and he was waiting for her- waiting for them to reach that horizon.

And she planned to reach it, with her children and Jack by her side.

She smiled when she saw him, standing with Keaton in his arms, shouting as Rue and Salem not too venture out too far into the surf. She never thought that he would be the overprotective parent. God, she never thought Jack could even worry about anything the way he breezed through life.

"I'm ready." She called out, her voice strong.

"We are too!" Rue exclaimed, practically dragging Salem to the ship.

Elizabeth took Keaton from him and wrapped him up in her arms. "Lead the way, Captain Sparrow." She slipped her hand in Jack's.

He nodded, eyes shining with the prospect of adventure as he led them forward. "Master Rue has the compass on board, so only he knows the heading."

She smiled briefly, a hopeful one. "We don't need a heading. We can go anywhere. We're…free."

The End.


End file.
